Regionally significant ecological areas (RSEA)

Communities recognize the importance of natural areas to quality of life and that escalating development pressures threaten remaining natural lands and water bodies. Communities thus need tools to help them identify natural areas for conservation and protection.

Metro area assessment

In 2003 the DNR Central Region conducted a landscape-scale assessment of the seven-county metro area to identify ecologically significant terrestrial and wetland areas. Products available from this:

• Assessment results
• Map: areas of ecological significance.

Other regional assessments

To complement this ecological assessment, the DNR will complete a regional-scale aesthetic assessment, and DNR Fisheries and the Met Council may complete an aquatic assessment.

Contact

For questions, contact Bart Richardson or Sharon Pfeifer at 651-259-5800.

This effort was supported, in part, by the Metropolitan Council, which provided satellite land cover data used to develop a hybrid land cover map as well as funding for GIS support staff. Staff of DNR Ecological Resources assisted with model development and provided peer review during model development.